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Sunday, September 30, 2018

This year's edition of the Net Impact conference will take place on October 25-27, 2018 in Phoenix, Arizona. NI18 will address the trends and challenges head on as we move toward creative and innovative solutions. As part of their effort to make a positive impact on the world NI18 is mobilizing a new generation of leaders to use their skills and careers to drive transformational change in the workplace and the world.

At this event you can connect with students, recent graduates, and professionals; exchange ideas with like-minded changemakers; collaborate with others thinking about big ideas and lean from innovative impact leaders.

Sustainable Infrastructure & Resilience is a three-part webinar series exploring science-based decision-making for local government, finance and business.

Actionable Science Solutions for Local Resilience October 10, 2018, 1:15pm - 2:45pm ET. Lauren Keeler, Assistant Research Professor in ASU's School for the Future of Innovation in Society, moderates this conversation with Grant Davis from Sonoma County Water Agency and Cecilio Ortiz Garcia from the University of Puerto Rico. Click here to register.

Friday, September 28, 2018

Women are a central part of projects that are making a difference in the developing world. Women have distinguished themselves as sustainability leaders on the world stage, but there are other unsung heroines who are quietly engaged on the front lines of the clean energy revolution. These women are not only earning a fair wage they are challenging restrictive and dysfunctional gender stereotypes.

Women are part of the extraordinary growth of solar energy and they are riding a wave of innovative financing. Solar enterprises are spawning progressive business models. From home solar projects in rural Bangladesh to staffing power stations in Morocco, women are playing a central role. They are providing distributed solar devices and clean cook-stoves in Nigeria, Tanzania, and Uganda. They are also getting much needed training to be clean energy technicians and managers in places like Ghana.

Wednesday, September 26, 2018

Paul Polman is a sustainability titan who has been at the helm of Unilever for almost a
decade. Polman has made the economic argument and the business case for ecological responsibility and social justice. He believes that businesses must contribute to the betterment of society. Polman has been an advocate of gender equality and his achievements at
Unilever are at least in part due to the fact that he has surrounded
himself with capable women.

Polman is widely regarded as a leading figure in sustainability. He has earned a number of accolades including the Duke of Edinburgh Conservation Medal for outstanding service to the environment and the UN's Champion for Global Change Award.

Monday, September 24, 2018

There have been many capable women who have contributed to the growth of sustainability, however no one has been a more important figure in recent history than the former Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change (UNFCCC), Christina Figueres.

Figueres tenure at the UNFCCC saw her achieve great things. She was instrumental in negotiations that led to the signing of the historic Paris Climate agreement. She took over her post at the UNFCC in 2010 after the disappointing failure of COP15 in Copenhagen. Five years later she oversaw the signing of the historic accord at COP21 in which 195 countries agreed to limit global warming.

Sunday, September 23, 2018

NCSE 2019 Annual Conference Sustainable Infrastructure & Resilience will take place on January 7-10, 2019 at the Omni Shoreham in Washington, DC.

The National Council for Science and the Environment (NCSE) works with scientists, educators, policymakers, business leaders, and officials at all levels of government to inform environmental policy and decision-making with the use of science. NCSE programs are designed to foster leadership and education around timely and pressing issues at the intersection of science, policy, education, and decision-making. The programs also advance interdisciplinary education and develop international cooperation and engagement.

The 21st Century Company Conference will take place on November 7, 2018 in New York, NY. This event is billed as "A Holistic View of the 21st Century Company", it is brought to you by a strategic partnership between Skytop Strategies, a leading conference and media company, and Fortune Empire a global private network dedicated to matching investors with capital seekers.

The 21st Century Company program will focus on the role of the public company from a global perspective. It will cover important topics that converge governance, social responsibility, ESG, and other trends that affect the role that multinational companies play as agents of impact.

Friday, September 21, 2018

Trump has a track record of failed ventures and the tax cuts cannot hide the fact that this president has shown himself to be bad for business. Part of the reason people voted for Trump is because he described himself as a great business leader. A review of his business dealings and his almost two years in office dispel this myth.

Tax cuts and radical deregulation may have contributed to an economic uptick and low unemployment, but this does not bode well for the future. Spiraling deficits and the failure to invest in the future has put the country on a perilous track. The federal government has slashed support for science and innovation, and failed to invest in infrastructure and the green economy. Trump's presidency has been marked by trade wars and an insane energy agenda that includes radical inefficiency.

Wednesday, September 19, 2018

Climate change education is ground zero in the battle between scientific truth and the lies told by politicians and industry. The forces conspiring to prevent children from having
access to the facts are being countered by concerned parents, teachers and scientists. A Yale study indicates that the vast majority of Americans want schools to teach their children about climate science. According to research from the Yale Forum on Climate Change Communication, three
quarters of Americans want to see climate change taught in schools. More
than two thirds of those polled said they would welcome a national
education program on climate change. The study also suggested that there are significant gaps in what many North Americans’ know about climate change. However, the poll shows that people want to know more.

Monday, September 17, 2018

Pundits warn that corporate leaders undermine their brand reputations by commenting on the conduct of Donald Trump. Despite these warnings some of the world's most successful corporations are opposing the commander and chief and rebuffing the leadership in Washington.

With the nation teetering on the cusp of a constitutional crisis, CEOs have a vested interest in countering the malfeasance in Washington. This is not just a PR stunt, nor is this solely a matter of conscience. Some are motivated by genuine concern about the well-being of the republic.

Waves of resignations from the CEOs of America's leading corporations forced Trump to disband his business councils. Business leaders have opposed Trump on a wide range of issues ranging from climate change to racism. Many do not share the administration's extreme and often irrational views on a number of key policy fronts including energy, efficiency and trade.

Sunday, September 16, 2018

The 4th Annual Environmental Leader & Energy Manager Conference (ELEMCON) will take place on May 13 - 15, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. ELEMCON offers real-life case studies that help you and your business with the ever-increasing interaction among energy, sustainability, and environmental professionals solving complex corporate challenges.

Friday, September 14, 2018

Women are leading a social movement that is demanding accountability. The #MeToo movement and the historic Women's March are defining features of a rapidly changing landscape. We are seeing a growing number women speaking truth
to power. More women than ever have taken to the streets to make their voices heard and an unprecedented number of women are vying for political leadership. This benefits both social and environmental justice. Women are the greener sex and as explained in a GMO article empowering women has been shown to be conducive to sustainability.

Thursday, September 13, 2018

Children are being targeted by climate disinformation campaigns from the Heartland Institute. This fossil fuel funded group is at the forefront
of efforts to confuse the public and thanks to the deep pockets of the
dirty energy industry they have a lot of money to play with (the organization's
budget was $5.3 million in 2015).

The Heartland Institute has been disseminating propaganda on behalf of the fossil fuel industry for decades. In 1998 the institute began targeting students with climate disinformation. Over the last couple of decades they have encouraged teachers to teach alternate facts and ignore the body of evidence supporting anthropogenic climate change.

Tuesday, September 11, 2018

This is an updated version of an article that was originally published by The Green Market Oracle in 2012. It covers the environmental impacts and the related toll on health stemming from the terrorist attacks that brought down the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001.

In addition to the horrific death toll from 9/11, the devastating environmental impact continues to harm human health more than a decade and a half later. The felling of the twin towers in Manhattan killed 2973 people. First responders charged with cleaning up the carnage, along with others who spent time on or near the 9/11 site continue to suffer from serious health effects. According to the latest reports around 20 percent of the more than
400,000 people who were exposed to toxic contaminants are suffering from a range of health problems including chronic cough, asthma, sinus congestion and more than 50 cancers.
Others are suffering from stress-related disorders, and depression.

Monday, September 10, 2018

Supreme Court Nominee Brett Kavanaugh is the worst Supreme Court nominee for the environment on the shortlist provided by the Federalist Society. However, people are protesting his nomination for a wide range of reasons, not the least of which is the fact that Trump chose him because of his stance on executive powers.

The Senate hearings to confirm Kavanaugh have been chalked full of drama. Some Democrats have called the hearings a sham and decried the fact that the president invoked executive privilege to deny access to information about the nominee. Protests included an ominous recreation of iconic scenes from Margaret Atwood's Dystopia the Handmaid's Tale and in what Cory Booker is calling his"Spartacus moment" he contravened Senate rules by releasing information purportedly revealing Kavanaugh's support for racial profiling.

Sunday, September 9, 2018

3BL Forum, formerly COMMIT!Forum will take place on October 23 – 25, 2018 in Oxon Hill, MD. There will be two days of speakers, panelists, conversations and interviews. This is an annual event bringing a diverse group of business, policy and NGO leaders together to share insights, advance best practices and workshop forward-thinking solutions to the most pressing sustainability challenges of our time.

Greenbuild International Conference & Expo will take place on November
14 and 15, 2018 at McCormack Place in Chicago, Illinois. When we come together at Greenbuild, we are one community of professionals, advocates and practitioners, students and teachers, designers and builders, and everything in between. This is a conference and expo that showcases new technology, new ideas and new ways forward. They are dedicated to transforming the market and changing the way the people all over the world experience buildings.

The 29th Annual conference for sustainable and responsible investing will take place at the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs, from November 1-4, 2018. Be part of the change be part of the SRI community’s most important annual event!

There is ever-increasing interest in sustainable, responsible, and impact investing. The SRI Conference and Community welcomes those new to SRI and long-standing supporters. Together, we are harnessing the power of capital to address our most pressing social, environmental, and cultural challenges while generating financial return.

Saturday, September 8, 2018

There are a number of good reasons why schools are driving the renewable energy revolution. Cost savings are an important part of the equation. It is also fitting that as learning centers schools lead the way towards a more sustainable energy future. Replacing fossil fuels with renewable sources of energy is absolutely essential if we are to address climate change. At present the world still gets most of its power from dirty hydrocarbons. There is no reason why we cant transition to renewables like solar, wind and hydro.

Friday, September 7, 2018

This article by Nancy E Landrum PhD, was published by Loyola University's Quinlan School of Business. Ms. Landrum, is a leader in helping businesses adopt more sustainable practices. She is a professor of sustainability management with an appointment in both Quinlan and Loyola’s Institute of Environmental Sustainability. In this article she outlines the key reasons all business leaders should care about the environment and what they can do to create a healthier planet.

Thursday, September 6, 2018

Given what we now know about Trump it should come as no surprise that his energy policy is wildly irrational. The self proclaimed deal maker has walked the US away from the greatest economic opportunity in human history. According to a new report sustainable infrastructure including energy represents a $26 trillion opportunity. The report's authors refer to this as the new climate economy.
If climate action and the green economy are on the Trump
administration's radar it is only so that they can be targeted for cuts or
removal.

Tuesday, September 4, 2018

We know that we have to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to address the climate crisis. It is getting hotter and it will get hotter still. Left unchecked we will create a future in which there will be swaths of the earth that will be uninhabitable for parts of the year.

In an Intelligencer's, David Wallace-Wells described July as, "a month of historic, even unprecedented, climate horrors". This is but the most recent manifestation of decades long warming trends. In 2018 we witnessed another summer of extreme heat, especially in the Arctic. This is driving a whole host of phenomenon including wildfires. For decades scientists have been warning that increases in atmospheric carbon will generate more intense extreme weather and larger fires.

Monday, September 3, 2018

BBCON will take place on October 9 – 11, 2018 in Orlando, Florida. This event is billed as the premiere tech gathering for social good. The Premier Tech Gathering for Social Good.

Join thousands of fundraisers, marketers, administrators, executives, and industry thought leaders from across the social good community to get inspired by today’s trends and tomorrow’s tech innovations, and become part of a community like no other.

Sunday, September 2, 2018

NAPHN18 Conference and Expo will take place on October 17-21, 2018, David L. Lawrence Convention Center, located at 1000 Fort Duquesne Blvd, Pittsburgh, PA. (The largest LEED® Gold Certified convention center in the world when it was built in 2003).
Over 1,000 attendees are expected. There will be a “Learning Lounge” and Vendor Floor Open to the Public. There will also be workshops for deep dives into particular subjects and/or training. Passive house is a rigorous, voluntary standard for energy efficiency in a building, which reduces the building's ecological footprint. It results in ultra-low energy buildings that require little energy for space heating or cooling.

International Conference on Sustainable Production and Consumption will take place October 4 - 5, 2018 in
Manchester, UK. This inaugural international conference will provide a platform for high-quality papers related to sustainable production and consumption. It aims to explore multidimensional interactions between technology, society and policy. This event is organised in collaboration with the Sustainable Production and Consumption journal.

Saturday, September 1, 2018

The Green Building Convention will take place October 3-5, 2018 in
Cape Town, South Africa. The theme this year is, "RACE TO ZERO". This is the definitive sustainability event and this year it is completely customizable to meet your specific needs. The 11th GBCSA deals with all aspects of sustainability but the 2018 convention will focus on buildings that achieve net zero
carbon emissions, as well as building with net-zero water, waste and
ecological impact.